The new cultivar is the result of a chance discovery in an existing population of Abies balsamea plants used for commercial Christmas tree production. The new variety originated as a naturally occurring, whole plant mutation of the unpatented parent variety, Abies balsamea. The new variety was first observed by the inventor, Leo Hamel, a citizen of Canada in 1988 in a stand of Abies balasamea under cultivation for production of commercial Christmas trees. This stand of trees was originally planted in 1985, and is located in Sawyerville, Quebec Canada. All trees were maintained according to standard Christmas tree industry conditions, including an annual shearing, and normal fertilizer rates.
After several years observing the unique pale yellow new growth consistently on one tree, the inventor selected the new cultivar for asexual reproduction, and first propagated the new variety in late March 2006. Propagation was by vegetative cuttings, grafted onto standard seedlings of Abies balsamea, performed at a commercial nursery in Sainte-Christine, Quebec, Canada. ‘Bernadine Gold’ has since produced additional generations and has shown that the unique features of this cultivar are stable and reproduced true to type. An application for Plant Breeder's Rights was filed in Canada in May of 2008, and granted in 2010. At the time of filing this US plant patent application, April 2011, plants have never been made commercially or publicly available anywhere in the world, and have always been maintained in a restricted environment.